Laughlin Airmen return from deployment

  • Published
  • By Technical Sgt. Joel Langton
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Eleven deployed members returned to Laughlin from a 4-month deployment to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan.

The returning deployers streamed in throughout the evening, after a two-day journey home, with six arriving at about 5 p.m., another four around 9:30 p.m. and the last of the group coming in close to midnight. They were some of the nearly 70 Laughlin members who were during the last rotation.

Chief Master Sgt. David Nelson was the 376th Expeditionary Mission Support Group superintendent while the rest of the team members served as force protection airmen, who watched over local nationals working within the base. This meant the members kept a careful eye on local workers, ensuring expeditionary wing members could carry on the mission.

Nearly 40 wing members greeted the first wave of returnees, including Col. Andrew Cernicky, 47th Mission Support Group commander.

"You guys are the heroes," Colonel Cernicky told some of the team members, after he'd quizzed them about the deployment. "You made your deployed unit stronger and you will now make our unit stronger upon your return, because of your experiences."

One thing was certain, they supported a critical, Total Force hub, where active duty, Guard and Reserve members helped more than 76,000 service members rotate in and out of Afghanistan during their rotation.

"It was a great mission," said Chief Nelson. "Everyone involved knew that we were a vital link in getting the war fighter into the battle and then back home safely."